You don’t have to face depression alone — counselling gives you practical tools, a safe space to explore what’s happening, and evidence-based approaches that help most people feel better within weeks to months. Counselling for Depression can reduce symptoms, teach coping skills, and guide you toward a treatment plan tailored to your situation.
This post will help you understand the main types of counselling, how each approaches depression, and the key factors to consider when choosing a counsellor so you can pick an option that fits your needs and goals.
Types of Counselling for Depression
You’ll find therapies that target your thoughts and behaviors, your relationships and roles, and deeper emotional patterns shaped by past experiences. Each approach gives specific tools you can use in sessions and in daily life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT helps you identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that sustain depression. Your therapist will teach you to track automatic negative thoughts, test their accuracy, and replace them with more balanced alternatives.
You’ll also learn behavioral activation: scheduling manageable activities to increase positive experiences and reduce withdrawal. This practical focus makes progress measurable; you can expect homework between sessions like thought records and activity logs.
CBT typically runs 12–20 sessions, depending on severity and goals. It suits people who prefer structured sessions, clear techniques, and short-term symptom relief. If you have recurring negative thinking or avoidant behaviors, CBT gives concrete skills to reduce those patterns.
Interpersonal Therapy
IPT concentrates on your current relationships and social roles that relate to depressive symptoms. Your therapist helps you map conflicts, role transitions, grief, or social deficits and develops strategies to improve communication and build support.
You’ll practice assertive communication, set realistic expectations in relationships, and plan steps to resolve role changes (for example, after a job loss or a breakup). These interventions aim to reduce interpersonal stressors that can trigger or maintain depression.
Treatment usually lasts 12–16 weeks with clear targets tied to your relationships. IPT works well when depression links closely to life events or when improving social support could directly reduce symptoms. It’s collaborative and time-limited, with progress tracked through changes in relationship functioning.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores how early experiences, unconscious patterns, and emotional conflicts influence your current mood and behavior. Your therapist helps you recognize recurring themes—such as repeated feelings of worthlessness or relationship patterns—and how they arise in the therapy relationship.
You’ll develop insight into how past losses, attachment history, or unprocessed emotions maintain depressive states. Sessions encourage expression of difficult feelings and reflection on defensive habits, which can free up energy for more adaptive choices.
This approach varies in length from short-term (months) to longer-term work (years), depending on your needs. It suits you if you want deeper change in personality patterns or recurrent depression that hasn’t responded fully to symptom-focused treatments.
Choosing the Right Counsellor
Focus on credentials, therapy methods, and whether you feel safe and understood. Prioritize licensed professionals with depression experience, clear treatment plans, and communication styles that match your needs.
Assessing Qualifications and Experience
Look for licensure and specific training in mood disorders. Check titles: clinical psychologist (PhD/PsyD), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW/LSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), or psychiatrist (MD). These indicate regulated education and supervised practice.
Ask about experience treating depressive disorders, including severity (mild, major, treatment-resistant) and common co-occurring issues like anxiety or substance use. Request outcomes data or typical length of treatment for depression when available.
Confirm continuing education in evidence-based practices such as CBT, IPT, or behavioral activation. Verify any additional certifications (e.g., perinatal mental health, trauma-informed care) if they match your situation. If medication might help, choose a clinician who collaborates with prescribers or is a prescriber.
Understanding Different Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behavioral activation; it’s well-supported for depression. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) targets relationship patterns and role transitions that maintain depressive symptoms.
Behavioral Activation emphasizes scheduling meaningful activities to counter avoidance and low mood. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) works on values and psychological flexibility rather than symptom elimination alone.
Ask the counsellor which methods they use, why they suit your situation, and how they measure progress. Request concrete examples of session activities and homework. Match the approach to your goals: symptom reduction, improving relationships, or developing daily routines.
Considering Personal Fit
Therapeutic fit shapes whether you engage and persist. Notice practical factors first: session frequency, length, fees, insurance coverage, and telehealth availability. These affect consistency, which matters for depression treatment.
Evaluate interpersonal fit: do you feel heard, respected, and safe? Trust your reaction after an initial session. Ask about decision-making: will you set collaborative goals and receive regular progress reviews?
Check logistics that affect continuity: cancellation policy, emergency contact procedures, and how the therapist coordinates care with your GP or psychiatrist. If something feels off, you can request a different clinician; finding a good fit improves outcomes.
